soundmind

McClean Vineyards Estate Private Reserve Syrah. Vertical from 2/22/2012. Amazing differences between the 2003 and 2005. Of course the Swordfish steaks, Risotto, and veggies were also amazingly different. But the wine even trumped the fish!

rjquillin

Sashimi at my most favorite (Itamae has been feeding me for 27 years now) restaurant last night, with three drinking and one non-drinking.

Dusted two 1.8L issho-bin of sake. Started with a a couple masu of rather pedestrian and pre chilledKurosawa while the quite good
Onikoroshi Junmai Daiginjo was chilling. Alas, it went entirely too rapidly and we were forced back to the Kurosawa.

A couple of single malts were also passed around and shared by others, as this is a quite small and very interactive sushi bar.

cortot20

And it was.
6/24/2012: Decanted in glass for an hour. Bottles notes this as 50% cab. & 50% Syrah and its made in an Aussie style
Color is a beautiful deep red with a black core. Nose and palate is dominated by black currant and plum, and the nose carries a slight green streak which does not come through on the tongue. What does come through is medium to high tannins which were unexpected but gave the wine a wonderful mouth feel. silky smooth with a lip licking dryness on the finish. All in all highly recommended.

It was also used in cooking. Braised Chicken with mushrooms and tomato's out of the William Sonoma Wine and food by Joshua Wesson which turned out wonderfully. Fed my pregnant wife and all were happy.

ddeuddeg

'03 Wellington Cuvée R Syrah, with grilled pork chops dusted with Java Gourmet turkey and more seasoning, grilled asparagus, and a terrific salad with fresh local lettuce. I love summer!

Always keep a bottle of Champagne in the fridge for special occasions. Sometimes the special occasion is that you've got a bottle of Champagne in the fridge. - Hester Browne
Filmmaker/winemaker Francis Ford Coppola says his two professions are almost the same and that each depends on source material and takes a lot of time to perfect.
The big difference: "Today's winemakers still worry about quality."

sanity

The surprise of the afternoon (yah, we've started early) is our own 2011 CyberPub Cellars Rogue Rhone Blend.

Last minute guests (many) stopped by, and I pulled out 6 racks of already cooked BBQ'd baby back ribs, salad, chips, dips, etc. I already had over-chilled 2 bottles of the wine, to about 48-50 degrees, and then put in each glass a healthy twist of lemon rind, no pith. It is well received. I decide to put out a bottle of the wine, properly chilled, no lemon, and everyone enjoyed that, too, but commented on how the lemon actually added a nice acidity.

cortot20

Inspiration Vineyards 08' Carneros Pinot. Opened but resting. Will comeback later with notes.

Edit: 6/29/2012: Because the wine is unfined and unfiltered I stood it up for a week prior to opening. I could see the sediment neatly sitting at the bottom and we were ready to go. The nose upon first opening is of fresh cut strawberries and cherries. As it opened up I got a little smoke as well. The palate is very tart and very zippy and the flavors match the nose.

At first it seemed like a very light Pinot but as I looked at it under bright lights it was very concentrated at its core which makes sense since it really packs a punch. This is very well made wine but not in a style that I really enjoyed. This is on the lighter side of Cali pinots but the flavors are very strong. Nothing subtle here.

North316

Aired in the bottle for about 30-45 minutes while dinner was cooking. Still a little muted and hot upon pouring but after another 20 minutes or so in the glass it quickly began to come together.

Color: If I only had color to go by I would of said this was a petite sirah. Very dark beautiful color.
Nose of blueberries and blackberries with a hint of baking spice; mostly cloves and nutmeg.
Taste: Nice fruit flavor with spices and hints of tobacco. Nice luscious, silky, mouthfeel, fairly short but pleasant finish with a bit of tartness.

Really enjoyable stuff and good QPR. Went very well with a Cajun rubbed rib-eye

klezman

Need something to go with my rack of lamb tonight. After finishing off last night's '07 Noceto Sangiovese Normale. Maybe an old Syrah or a Brunello or Barolo. Too bad I don't have any old CdP or proper Rhone.

jhkey

Having a bottle of Hunt Cellars 2001 Reserve Cabernet, first with some Tallegio and peasant bread. Dinner is grass-fed ribeye, green beans (from the garden) and sweet potatoes topped w/ beau cheese. Surprisingly remarkable for a Paso wine (which I'm usually not a huge fan), 13.6%. Wonderful aged Cab characteristics of leather and spice. Fruit and tannin are still evident, but probably not too much life left in this one. I wish it had a bit more acidity, the finish has great potential, but then ends on a slightly sweet note (which I don't care for). It may lack the nuance and complexity of a nice aged Corison or Bordeaux, but this is a very good wine.

"I double the doctor's recommendation of a glass and a half of wine a day and even treble it with a friend."
- Thomas Jefferson (CT)

klezman

klezman wrote:Need something to go with my rack of lamb tonight. After finishing off last night's '07 Noceto Sangiovese Normale. Maybe an old Syrah or a Brunello or Barolo. Too bad I don't have any old CdP or proper Rhone.

Went with a 2005 Terre da Vino Barolo. Evolved nicely in the decanter and has many years left in it.

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